Macro communications devices, e.g., cellular base stations, which communicate with wireless terminals in a relatively large, e.g., macro, cell, are subject to interference when other devices within the macro cell attempt to use the same communications resources, e.g., time frequency resources, being used by the base station to communicate with wireless terminals being serviced by the base station.
Examples where interference with communications between a macro base station and wireless terminal are likely to occur include: (i) the case where a femto cell device, e.g., a femto cell base station, located within a macro cell uses the same communications resources to communicate with a device, e.g., a femto cell wireless terminal, and (ii) the case where a peer to peer device in the macro cell attempts to communicate with another peer to peer communications device using the same resources as those being used by the macro cell.
Femto cell devices and other devices such as peer to peer devices often need to transmit short signals, e.g., control information, discovery signals, and/or other signals. Such signals while often being short in terms of duration and/or the number of bits they communicate are often important for the devices communicating within the femto cell and/or in the case for peer to peer devices to enable successful peer device discovery and peer to peer communications. Accordingly, it is often desirable for the femto cell devices or peer to peer devices to transmit such signals at relatively high power. Unfortunately, the transmissions of such signals on communications resources being used by the macro base station can interfere with the base station and negatively impact overall macro cell throughput particular when such signals interfere with pilots and/or control signals being transmitted by the macro base station. Such interference is particularly of concern as in many systems where the femto cells and peer to peer devices are not directly controlled by the base station, e.g., to limit or avoid interference to communications between the macro base station and the wireless terminals being serviced by the macro base station.
In view of the above discussion, it should be appreciated that there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for allowing femto cell devices and/or other devices to transmit short messages or signals using communications resources which are also being used by a base station without the need for the base station to control or interact with the femto cell or peer to peer device using the same resources as the macro base station.